CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 12: Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards runs down court during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on April 12, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 130-117. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have re-signed Jamir Watkins to a two-way contract, the team announced Wednesday.
The Washington Wizards have signed forward Jamir Watkins to a two-way contract.
Washington has re-signed Watkins just days after it declined his $2.15 million team option for the 2026-27 season. The Wizards did something similar in 2024, when they declined Tristan Vukcevic’s team option before signing him to a two-way contract.
By signing Watkins to a two-way deal, the Wizards have roughly $13 million in luxury tax space and the full $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign a free agent.
Watkins, 24, was selected No. 43 by Washington in the 2025 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds across 50 games last season.
The stout defender closed his rookie campaign with a 24-point outburst on 5-for-9 3-point shooting against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Florida State product signing a two-way deal keeps the Wizards at 14 standard contracts.
Guard: Trae Young | Tre Johnson | Bub Carrington | Jaden Hardy | D’Angelo Russell
Wing: AJ Dybantsa | Kyshawn George | Bilal Coulibaly | Will Riley
Forward: Anthony Davis | Justin Champagnie | Cam Whitmore
Center: Alex Sarr | Tristan Vukcevic
Two-way: Jamir Watkins
Washington could open another roster spot by waiving or buying out Russell, who opted in to his $5.9 million player option but never reported to Washington following last February’s trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins was noncommittal on whether Felix Okpara would sign a standard deal, which opens the door for him to start his career on a two-way contract. Dawkins also mentioned Washington’s desire to add another big man to back up Sarr and Davis.
The agent for LeBron James indicated nearly half the teams in the NBA are interested in signing the league's all-time leading scorer and the decision won't be about money.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said he spoke with "12 to 14" teams about James after NBA free agency negotiations officially began during an episode of The Ringer's "Game Over" podcast featuring Paul and former ESPN commentator Max Kellerman released on Wednesday, July 1. Paul also confirmed the Golden State Warriors were one of the teams to contact him regarding James, but remained non-committal about any favorites to land his 41-year-old client.
James announced on Tuesday he plans to play elsewhere next season after spending the past eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul revealed negotiations with the Lakers never reached the point where the team's front office made a formal contract offer to James.
"There didn't need to be one," Paul told Kellerman. "They wanted to bring him back, obviously, but there didn’t need to be one and I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time.”
Paul explained that James began the NBA offseason telling Paul he was "80%" about a return to the Lakers, but his thinking progressively changed even though remaining with the franchise would have netted James his biggest potential payday.
"I don’t believe that there was anything that took place," Paul said about James' shift in mindset. "... I think you get to a place where in your mind, you start to decide, OK, it’s time for me to move on elsewhere.”
Paul reiterated James is in search of "complete happiness" and money won't dictate his potential landing spot for the first time in his career. Paul would not put a timeline on when James might decide on his next team.
"His legacy is etched in stone," Paul said, "but if you can find humility and peace and still be competitive and give yourself the chance at the possibility of winning, that is complete happiness. That’s the Holy Grail. That’s all you can ask for.”
“I think we’ll look at all situations," Paul added, "and ultimately he’ll make the best decision for him.”
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 29: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Washington Wizards looks on after making a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Capital One Arena on December 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s no secret the Washington Wizards need to add depth behind their presumed starting frontcourt of Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said as much last week, stating the team’s desire to add another forward or center in free agency.
Nearly a day into the NBA’s legal tampering period, several teams have already added frontcourt help. Mitchell Robinson (Celtics), Moritz Wagner (Nets), Nikola Vucevic (Magic) and John Collins (Pistons) are just a few free agents who have already inked new deals.
The Wizards can use the roughly $13 million in luxury-tax space or the full $15 million midlevel exception to sign a free agent.
Below is a list of five available free-agent big men Washington could target.
Marvin Bagley III
Bagley, 27, averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds on 62.6% FG across 38 appearances with the Wizards last season before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal that brought Davis to Washington. The 6-foot-10 forward produced in a bench role in each of his previous two stints as a Wizard and would assume a similar role during the 2026-27 season.
Andre Drummond
Drummond, 32, averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds with the Philadelphia 76ers last season in a backup role. The 6-foot-11, 279-pound center would help the Wizards, who ranked 24th in rebounds per game last season, solve their rebounding issues while providing a bruising presence off the bench.
Kevon Looney
Looney, 30, is a veteran option Washington could target on a one-year deal. The three-time NBA champion averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in just 21 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season as he battled injuries.
Nick Richards
Richards, 28, just finished a three-year, $15 million contract that included stints with the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls. The 6-foot-11, 245-pound forward would give Washington another bruising presence behind Sarr and Davis while assisting with the team’s rebounding issues.
Dwight Powell
Powell, 34, is an older option who’s spent the past 12 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks as a depth forward. Powell averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds on 64.4% FG across 63 appearances last season
COLUMBUS, OHIO - APRIL 12: Joonas Korpisalo #70 of the Boston Bruins makes a save during the first period of the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on April 12, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Bruins will have a new back-up goalie next season.
The B’s shipped Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, receiving prospect Kalle Vaisanen and a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft in exchange.
The Bruins did not retain any of Korpisalo’s salary in the deal, meaning his $3 million AAV is now off the books.
With Korpisalo on the move, the Bruins will likely turn to Michael DiPietro as their back-up, at least initially.
DiPietro has been great in Providence, particularly last season, and deserves a look at the NHL level. He’s under contract through next season and carries a cap hit of $812,500, making him an affordable option as well.
The only caveat is that DiPietro is eligible for waivers, so the B’s would need to make a decision on his NHL role and stick with it or risk losing him for nothing if they tried to send him down (as opposed to sending him up and down endlessly, as the B’s have done with some players in the past).
Still, we’re a ways away from worrying about that.
Vaisanen is a 23-year-old forward who spent last season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.
He had three goals and an assist in 51 games for Hartford.
Last season was Vaisanen’s first in North America, as he spent the earlier years of his career playing professionally in Finland.
With roster spots available in Providence after some departures, Vaisanen should be able to find a role somewhere.
Overall, this move should be considered a good one for the Bruins: they freed up some cap space, received an asset or two in return, and didn’t have to keep any of Korpisalo’s salary.
It wasn’t too long ago that some fans were suggesting packaging Korpisalo with an asset to get another team to take on the salary; instead, the Bruins moved that money out and got a pick and prospect with it.
Jun 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF Juan Soto – DH Bo Bichette – 3B Francisco Lindor – SS A.J. Ewing – CF Francisco Alvarez – C Jared Young – 1B Brett Baty – 2B Tyrone Taylor – LF
SP: Freddy Peralta – RHP
Blue Jays lineup
Nathan Lukes – RF Vladimir Guerrero – 1B Kazuma Okamoto – 3B Daulton Varsho – CF Alejandro Kirk – C Yohendrick Pinango – LF Ernie Clement – 2B Sean Keys – DH Andres Gimenez – SS
SP: Spencer Miles – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 3:07 PM ET TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The countdown to the 2026 T-Mobile MLB Home Run Derby is on. The annual showcase of the game’s top sluggers will take place on Monday, July 13 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The full list of competitors is still being finalized, so check back as more names are confirmed!
RELATED:Watch the first round of the MLB Draft and the 2026 MLB Futures game on NBC and Peacock!
When is the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby?
Date: Monday, July 13
Place: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: Netflix
Who is in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby?
Kyle Schwarber (32 home runs - 1st in MLB)
Okay, now we're talking. Schwarber leads the majors in homers and the Home Run Derby in is Philly, so this pretty much had to happen. One of the greatest power hitters of his generation, Schwarber is on pace to become the first player in franchise history with two 50-homer seasons. This will be his third time participating in a Home Run Derby, but he's yet to win. Monday night is going to be a blast, literally and figuratively.
With Schwarber participating on his home field, it only makes sense for Harper to do the same. The 30-year-old just reached the 20-homer mark for the 12th time in his legendary career. One fun wrinkle here is that Harper previously beat Kyle Schwarber to win the Home Run Derby crown in 2018 at Nationals Park. It would be pretty fun to see a rematch in the finals in front of their home crowd.
Recently named to his first All-Star team, Rice has elected to participate in his first Home Run Derby, as well. With Aaron Judge sidelined, Rice has emerged as the Yankees' key power source this season. While the 27-year-old has cooled down in recent weeks, he leads the Bombers in both home runs and RBI. Making the upcoming Home Run Derby extra special, Rice announced on Instagram that his dad, Dan, will be throwing to him.
A full circle moment for Ben Rice and his dad as they turn backyard Home Run Derby dreams into reality
Caminero is back to avenge last year's loss to Cal Raleigh in the finals. The 22-year-old became the first confirmed competitor after making an announcement on his Instagram account. After exploding for 45 home runs in 2025, the 22-year-old continues to establish himself as one of the game’s elite power bats. He recently became the youngest player since 1900 to hit a home run in six straight games. Caminero is a big reason why the Rays own the best record in the American League.
Caglianone isn't an All-Star, but he's headed to Philadelphia for his first Home Run Derby. The 23-year-old struggled as a rookie last season, but he's made some major strides so far this year, including nine homers and a 1.036 OPS in the month of June. Caglianone has a quick bat (97th percentile in bat speed) from the left side of the plate and hits the ball extremely hard, as he ranks in the 92nd percentile or higher in barrel percentage, average exit velocity, and hard-hit percentage. He's also among the leaders in average home run distance. Get ready for a fun power display in Philly.
Contreras will appear in his first Home Run Derby at the age of 34. He's enjoyed a great first half with the Red Sox, reaching 20 homers for the seventh time in his career. He's poised to blow well past his career-high of 24 homers from 2019. The power has been legitimately impressive, as he's tied for second in the majors in average home run distance. Contreras was recently named to the All-Star team after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. withdrew due to a back injury. He'll aim to become the first Red Sox player to win the competition since David Ortiz in 2010.
One of the best stories of the 2026 season so far, Walker has finally begun to deliver on his immense potential. The 24-year-old former top prospect has already established a new career-high in home runs while seeing major boosts in his quality of contact. His elite average bat speed (79.1 mph) is only topped by Junior Caminero, who is also tapped to participate in this year's Home Run Derby.
This year’s Home Run Derby comes with some new wrinkles, as MLB has done away with the timer that has been used since 2015. Instead, the competition will go back to a swing-based format.
Here’s what to know:
Round 1: 20 swings
Round 2: 15 swings
Finals: 15 swings
Note: If a hitter homers on their final swing, they can continue to swing until they don’t homer.
Consistent with recent years, there is no bracket for the first round, as all eight hitters will compete within a single pool. The top four home run hitters will advance to the second round and seeding will be based on how many home runs were hit in the first round, with distance serving as the tiebreaker. In the second and third rounds, ties would be decided by three-swing swing-offs.
The Chicago Blackhawks allowed Ilya Mikheyev to reach free agency, despite him being one of their more important forwards over the last two years.
In Mikheyev, you get a top-shelf penalty killer, along with a guy who can score anywhere from 15-20 goals a year with no power play time.
He made sense in a bottom-six role for the Blackhawks, but they decided to let him walk. On Wednesday, Mikheyev signed a four-year deal with an average annual value of $3.85 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Obviously, giving him that fourth year and residing in a tax-free state gave the Lightning an advantage over the Blackhawks in the negotiating, but would it have been so bad to pay him with an extra year rather than Cole Smith? That is something that Kyle Davidson will have to observe and answer for in the coming years.
Another defensively-sound middle-sixer for the Lightning. Pretty fair deal for Ilya Mikheyev pic.twitter.com/lDtIegA2cf
Ilya Mikheyev, signed 4x$3.9M by TB, is a speedy defensive winger who's excellent at killing penalties and contributes on the forecheck at 5v5. Strong defensive track record. pic.twitter.com/aHTFZNtMFq
With the superstars that the Lightning have up front, like Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brayden Point, amongst others, Mikheyev's speed on defense and the forecheck will fit in perfectly within their middle-six.
Mikheyev is stepping into a situation where he can play a key role on a team looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. That likely went into his decision as well. It's a tough loss for the Blackhawks, but not one that can keep them down.
Moving forward, they need to find a way to replace his speed and penalty killing. Oliver Moore's role on the team grows significantly with Mikheyev gone, but it will be done by committee.
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LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 16: 2025 NBA Emirates Cup Final signage before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks on December 16, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In an odd development, as it coincided with the start of free agency, the NBA officially unveiled the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup groups, schedule, and a new championship venue on Tuesday.
The format remains unchanged, with teams drawn into groups based on their 2025-26 regular-season records.
With all that, the New York Knicks now know their path to repeat as the defending champions of the not-fake-anymore tournament. And the Knicks, coming off a championship season, landed in a top-tier group.
Now, for the conspirators out there, New York will be part of the highly suspicious ‘East Group B’ alongside (get ready) the Cleveland Cavaliers (ECF and LBJ suitors), Philadelphia 76ers (Ariel Hukporti’s new team), Miami Heat (new home if Giannis and LBJ suitors), and Indiana Pacers (2025 Finals runner-up with their No. 1 player back).
Oh, surprise, the doubly-reigning-champion Knicks landed in Group of Death of the 2026 edition of the Cup. Cash cow, NBA!
(To be honest, which I’m not, perhaps the draw results also had to do with the Pacers being disastrous and statistically awful, and the Heat for being mediocre at best only to then pull off the Giannis trade and instantly become kind of good.)
The groups are set for the Emirates NBA Cup 2026!
All 30 NBA teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2025-26 regular season.
The tournament will tip off on Oct. 30, with group play games scheduled every Friday through Nov. 27, along with additional “Cup Nights” on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25. Each team will face the other four squads in its group once, with the three group winners and one wild card team per conference advancing to the knockout stage.
The knockout-stage dates have also been set, with the quarterfinals to be held Dec. 4-5, followed by the semifinals on Dec. 8 or Dec. 9. The tournament will end on Dec. 11 with the championship game, which again, will mark the 83rd game in whoever makes it there’s schedule, even though the stats won’t count for anything.
This year’s Cup final is also changing, if only in venue, as it will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis instead of Sin City, marking the first time the event will be held outside Las Vegas. The choice of such a historic venue is part of the NBA’s plan to bring the Cup into more traditional basketball arenas, and the venue could change once again in the future.
For the Knicks, the stakes are clear. After becoming the first team to win both the NBA Cup and the NBA championship in the same season, New York will enter the tournament with a chance of pulling off the first-ever back-to-back in tournament history, as well as becoming the first NBA franchise to sandwich an NBA title with two Cup championships. See how we appreciate the tournament now, fellas? Give it some respect!
The Knicks’ 2025 Cup title preceded their championship run, while other Cup finalists, such as the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Pacers, also translated Cup success into deep playoff runs but ultimately failed to win the ultimate prize in June.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park on June 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Someone (rightfully) corrected me that the Sunday series finale versus the Giants was not the end of June, as we had one more left to play on June 30. In my defense, I was thinking it was the last series of the month, and thus it was basically done.
Well, June said “I got one more [Braves loss] in me” – the Braves dropped the Cardinals series opener yesterday in similar fashion: giving up homers while not hitting homers. Dismal, abysmal, etc.
Let’s start fresh. Please be good to us, July.
The Braves will be looking to equalize the series this evening with Reynaldo López (3-1, 3.47 ERA) on the mound. Making his second start since re-joining the rotation, López will be looking to build upon his outing versus San Francisco. With his ~60 pitch limit, he went three innings, gave up one run, and struck out one. He settled down after the first inning where the run scored. Here’s to hoping that those 57 pitches go a long way for his confidence and that he can stifle a productive Cardinals lineup for however long he’s allowed to stay on the mound. We’ll see if the Grant Holmes long-relief bullpen move sticks or if Hurston Waldrep can find more command in a longer relief outing than his season debut.
Only three Cardinals have seen Reynaldo before with a maximum of two at-bats: Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera, and Mayn Winn. Herrera and Winn have one strikeout apiece, and Winn also worked a walk once.
The Braves are hoping to find their powerstroke (or any stroke at all, really) against 25-year old Michael McGreevy (3-6, 3.12 ERA). Utilizing a seven-pitch mix and unafraid to fill up the strike zone, McGreevy has delivered quality starts in four out of his last five outings. His most recent appearance was six scoreless against June’s hottest team, the Miami Marlins. We’re hoping for more of a final line like his June 19 start versus the Royals: L, 5 IP, 8 H, and 5 ER.
In some fun symmetry, only three Braves have seen McGreevy before with limited experience. The new guys Dominic Smith, Joey Bart, and Mike Yazstrzemski have nine at-bats in total. Dom Smith has the lone hit of the group with a double.
Is “pride of Georgia Tech” Joey Bart the only one allowed to hit homers around here? Ozzie Albies, I’m not talking to you, you’re fine. It’s a new month. Let’s get after it, boys.
The San Jose Sharks have signed veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year contract worth $33 million. The contract carries an average annual value of $8.25 million.
Trouba served as captain of the New York Rangers for parts of three seasons before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the middle of the 2024-25 season. Last season, his only full season with the Ducks, the 32-year-old defenseman scored 10 goals for the third time in his career and recorded 35 points, the third-highest point total of his career.
Trouba is known for his offensive ability as well as his strong physical play, which occasionally comes under scrutiny.
In 906 career games, Trouba has scored 84 goals, 274 assists and a total of 358 points, along with 701 penalty minutes.
The Sharks were looking to add a defenseman who could move the puck, and Trouba can certainly help in that regard. With that being said, he hasn't been a regular on the power play in quite some time.
Trouba will certainly bring some veteran leadership to the blue line and he can serve as a long-term mentor for the Sharks' young defensemen.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 30: Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics catches a fly ball at the wall hit by Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (not in photo) in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on June 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
To think the AL West is so flawed this season that 3 teams, hovering just above or below the .500 mark, are clustered within 2 games of one another battling for 1st place.
Trouble is the A’s are not one of those teams. Now 6 games under .500, with a better team on the IL than on the field and an ERA north of 6.00 at home, the A’s enter July on a precipice trying to avoid falling more clearly out of any possible playoff picture. Numerically they’re still relevant so long as you don’t watch the actual performance.
Here are some random eyeball notes as the calendar turns to July and the A’s hope a new month brings a new level of play to a hobbled and reeling club…
Henry Bolte, CF
Bolte has been one of the bright spots, still maintaining a 110 wRC+ and keeping Lawrence Butler out of CF. There has been plenty to like, from his .370 OBP to 11 stolen bases in just 44 games.
Where the Eyeball Scout is less impressed than the stats is Bolte’s CF play so far. It hasn’t been bad, mind you, but Fangraphs gives him above average ratings with +2 DRS and +2 OAA. That’s not quite what I have seen. Last night provided one latest example of a “Bleday read” where Bolte’s initial step was back followed by an arc route in for a shallow fly ball that fell in.
A key difference between Bleday and Bolte, of course, is that Bolte’s elite sprint speed allows him to outrun the majority of his mistakes — but that doesn’t mean he can afford to get poor reads or jumps often, as sometimes the lost ground is simply too much to make up.
I have seen some tangible improvements from when Bolte first arrived, such as not overthrowing the cut off man recently. He still does not take charge as much as you would ideally like, a case in point being the drive to the left-center field wall that Joey Meneses missed because he finds catching fly balls either hard or a nuisance. Thanks to his speed, Bolte got there in time to catch it, but deferred to an outfielder known to be terrible at fielding.
In any event, I’m still optimistic that Bolte can be at least an average CFer if not better, but I kind of expect the metrics to catch up to my eyes and for him to settle in at only being average now. Still, at a premium defensive position, “average” at age 22 is not a bad thing. I just think there is a lot of work yet to do.
Max Muncy (ours)
I won’t harp on this too much because I wrote about it recently, but with each passing day far from getting more comfortable and improving, in fact Muncy’s 3B defensive metrics continue to slide.
After last night’s game, in which I thought an E-5 absolutely should have been charged on a sharply hit ball Muncy ‘ole’d’ to his left, here is how his 3B numbers look: 342.2 innings (38 full games), -12 DRS, -7 OAA.
It’s bad enough that the A’s need to make it a priority not to play him there, whether it means DHing him, benching him, or optioning him.
Obviously the timing is poor with both Jacob Wilson and Zack Gelof sidelined, but since Muncy is not hitting much anyway (.235/.299/.409 for the season now with a 32.9% K rate), the A’s would in fact be a better team with McNeil-Williams-Kuroda-Grauer or Kuroda-Grauer-Williams-Hernaiz at 2B, SS, 3B.
You could even make a case for calling up Tommy White even though his inflated stats at AAA are still below league average. The reasoning would be that White has made only 2 errors in 28 games at 3B and that if you are going to get limited range and a below average bat at 3B it may as well come with more sure-handed defense and fewer strikeouts.
But for now the A’s best bet is probably a “defense first” arrangement that puts a somewhat ghastly bottom 1/3 of the order out there in the name of run prevention. A team giving up over 6 runs/game at home, lately 9, could use all the run prevention possible.
Jeffrey Springs
Not to beat up on someone when they’re down, but some of the numbers on Springs are eye-popping. And by that I mean you want to take the nearest skewer and pop out your eyeballs to avoid seeing the next start.
Springs threw only 27 innings in June yet still managed to serve up 12 HRs. Yes, folks, that’s a HR every 2.5 innings on his way to a cool 10.00 ERA for the month.
Here’s what the Eyeball Scout has to say about it. Is it truly THAT hard for a pitcher to learn a 2-seam fastball, aka a sinker, that is mostly a different grip on a familiar pitch? I understand that “hey, add this new pitch” is popular with fans in theory and hard for pitchers in practice, but we’re not talking about an unusual pitch like a forkball or a knuckle-curve here.
The A’s know they play their home games in a launching pad ill suited to extreme fly ball pitchers. How, in 1.5 seasons, have they not been able to help Springs develop just a serviceable pitch that sinks, one he could bring out only at home if he wanted, just to keep balls from flying out of the park left and right?
If you’re wondering how dire the situation is, after last night Springs’ home ERA for the season stands at 6.79 with 16 HR in 54.1 IP. Overall, when it comes to serving up the long ball Springs is alone atop the American League, his 27 tied with Shota Imanaga.
In a game of adjustments, this old dog (33) needs to learn one new trick or he is simply not equipped to survive, let alone thrive. Adapt or perish, as they say.
Glimmer of hope alert: With Shohei Ohtani’s start pushed back to Friday, the A’s have a match up that is actually somewhat favorable on paper: JT Ginn against a “bullpen game”. Let’s hope July greets the A’s better than June sent them off.
Klimovich became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 after the Vancouver Canucks did not tender him a qualifying offer. Now, the 23-year-old forward will be working on his development as a member of the Flyers organization.
Klimovich has yet to play at the NHL level and spent each of the last five seasons in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. In 281 career AHL games over that span, the 6-foot-2 forward posted 70 goals, 53 assists, 123 points, and 227 penalty minutes.
Overall, with this move, the Flyers are adding a young forward to their depth. It will be interesting to see if he can make the jump to the NHL level next season with Philadelphia.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a two-run single during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It is getting increasingly difficult for the Cincinnati Reds to continue to keep prospect Hector Rodriguez stashed down with AAA Louisville.
Hector struggled a bit during his first taste of AAA ball during the back half of 2025, hitting just .260/.304/.405 in 230 PA after ripping his way through the AA Southern League with the Chattanooga Lookouts. But during the 22 year old’s first full season with the Louisville Bats, he’s established himself as more than capable of crushing the pitching at that level.
For the full season, he’s hitting an impressive .283/.362/.527 (.889 OPS) with 18 homers through 354 PA. The left-handed hitter has pummelled right-handed pitching to the tune of .299/.389/.578 (.967 OPS) with 14 of those homers in just 247 PA, and his work of late has been even more thorough.
So thorough, even, that he was just named the International League’s Player of the Month for June, as the Bats relayed on Twitter.
The 1.014 OPS during the month featured 8 long balls, but over his most recent 32 games he’s been even more red hot. That span has seen him hit .319/.409/.689 (1.098 OPS) with 11 homers and 27 runs scored in just 137 PA, the kind of run through the AAA level that should, in theory, spark promotion discussion – especially when it’s coming from one of their top five prospects.
As the Cincinnati Reds themselves fall deeper and deeper into ‘seller’ mode ahead of the August 3rd trade deadline, a path to the majors may become much, much clearer for Hector. JJ Bleday and Noelvi Marte have stamped out pretty clear everyday roles in the outfield, but any potential moves of Eugenio Suarez or Nate Lowe would open up more time on the infield corners for Spencer Steer and, therefore, more space to rotate another bat through the DH spot on a regular basis. And if that series of events happens, Hector’s going to get his first shot at showing the performance at AAA was only the beginning.
The New York Rangers have acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick and forward Kalle Vaisanen.
Korpisalo comes in with a $3 million cap hit for the Rangers over the next two years, with the Bruins reportedly retaining $1 million per season from his current contract, which expires after the 2027-28 season.
The 32-year-old goaltender is coming off a season with the Boston Bruins in which he posted a 14-9-6 record, .894 save percentage, and a 3.14 goals against average.
This trade comes just about one week after the Rangers re-signed goaltender Dylan Garand to a two-year contract extension.
With Jonathan Quick officially retired, the backup goaltending position behind Igor Shesterkin is up for grabs.
The backup goaltending position is not solidified in the eyes of the Rangers’ management, as they anticipate Korpisalo competing with Garand during training camp.
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocked shots last season, although he only played five games because of a shoulder injury. (Rob Gray / Associated Press)
The Lakers secured their starting center of the future in a massive trade with Utah on Wednesday, agreeing to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz in exchange for 24-year-old Walker Kessler, sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed Wednesday to The Times.
Kessler, who was limited to five games last season because of a shoulder injury, is expected to sign a four-year, $130-million contract with the Lakers, people with knowledge of the situation said.
The center was a restricted free agent, but the Lakers worked around difficult negotiating limitations by throwing in nearly every first-round asset they had in addition to digging into their $51 million in salary-cap space. If the Lakers had only presented an offer sheet to the Jazz to lure Kessler away instead of working on a trade, Utah would have had until July 7 to match the offer.
Kessler’s addition, a day after LeBron James told the Lakers that he’d return for an unprecedented 24th season elsewhere, highlighted a flurry of transactions that will help the Lakers remake their roster around Luka Doncic. Soon after the Kessler trade Wednesday, the Lakers agreed to terms with three free agents — center Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes and guard Collin Sexton.
Kessler is a much-needed defensive backstop. The 7-foot-2 center has averaged 2.4 blocks over his career. He was off to a strong start last season in Utah before a season-ending shoulder injury. The previous season, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the league.
Mamukelashvili declined a $2.8-million player option with the Toronto Raptors and was rewarded with a four-year, $52-million deal with the Lakers, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Times. Primarily coming off the bench, the Georgian center averaged 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Raptors last season.
Toronto's Sandro Mamukelashvili scores on a layup in front of Wizards forward Anthony Gill on Feb. 28 in Washington. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
His three-point shooting has improved in recent seasons; Mamukelashvili shot 38.9% from three-point range last season on 3.7 attempts per game, improving from 37.3% on 2.6 attempts the previous season. The long-range shooting element would stand out in a revamped front line that includes the returning Deandre Ayton, who was the Lakers’ major free-agent signing last year. He exercised a $8.1-million player option after career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (eight) and minutes (27.2) per game.
Grimes, 26, averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He agreed to a four-year, $60-million contract, The Times confirmed.
Sexton agreed to a two-year, $19-million contract, The Times confirmed, after the guard played for the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls last season. The Lakers will be his fifth team in his eight-year career, which began in Cleveland, where he was named All-Rookie second team in 2019.
